Michigan Regional Skills Alliances: A Statewide Initiative to Address Local Workforce Needs

The Michigan Regional Skills Alliance (MiRSA) Initiative, launched in 2004, offered thirteen local regions one-year start-up grants to develop local strategies to increase the skills and labour market success of individuals, and provide a collaborative approach through which local employers would benefit from a more skilled workforce. The state’s labor market information agency helped applicants by providing a cluster-type analysis of the local labour market and forecasts of employment trends and occupational needs. The implementation strategies varied by region and were based upon the identified needs of the targeted businesses as well as the collective thinking of the local partnership. This chapter reviews the success of the initiative, evaluating how it has impacted on working practices in the state.